Help meeee

[Macy&Pixie the chameleons]

I am not a new chameleon owner but, my last chameleon became growth retarded probably because I wasn't taking care of her properly, I need to know what the best lighting, cage setup (amount of plants, sticks etc..)
,Amount of food, egg laying habitat, and when they need to lay eggs, if my new chameleon is the right size and water sources.
Thank you, I'm sorry I'm just getting so many different answers and I need to make sure my chams are happy and healthy.

 

[Lindasjackson]

What breed of chams do you have? Veiled? Panther? Jackson’s? I can get you the right help if I know what breed it or they are

 

[Lindasjackson]

It looks like you’ve asked similar questions in other places on this forum. What you really need to do is fill out the form “how to ask for help” that is pinned at the top of the health clinic forum and paste it here and someone can go over your husbandry with you and help you get everything just perfect for your beautiful chams.it’s just hard when you post a bunch of questions in all different places.

 

[Beman]

I was helping this new member in this thread as well... https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/growth-retardedation.188359/#post-1745382

 

[Macy&Pixie the chameleons]

It looks like you’ve asked similar questions in other places on this forum. What you really need to do is fill out the form “how to ask for help” that is pinned at the top of the health clinic forum and paste it here and someone can go over your husbandry with you and help you get everything just perfect for your beautiful chams.it’s just hard when you post a bunch of questions in all different places.

They are both veiled chameleons one is growth retarded (permanently baby size) and I just got another one last Sunday, I think she's like 3 months old according to her weight.
Macy which is the growth retarded one, I hold her pretty often I open the cage and she crawls right out I never grab her or make her crawl on me.
I used to make my other chameleon, pixie crawl on me by tickling her feet but I'm not doing that anymore.
I feed them both about 20 dusted dubia and mealworms a day, Macy hasn't been eating a lot recently because I have her in a smaller cage while her cage is still shipping it will be here very soon, I don't know if putting potatoe and carrot in the bug enclosure constitutes gut loading but I do that.
I use zoo med repti calcium without D3 I dust them pretty much every other time.
I put a water bowl in the enclosure the mister mists twice a day for about 10 seconds and I have seen them drink.
Both of there's feces look like they should and they haven't been tested for parasites but there are none in there feces.
I'm using a all screen enclosure pixie who is 3 months will be upgrading to a 24x24x48 inch enclosure and Macy will use hers which is 16x16x30
I use zoo med's light (I will put a link)
My thermometer I usually use just broke so when I get a new one like tomorrow or the next day I will tell you, same thing for the humidity my thermometer also told me the humidity but it's been the recommended humidity I know that.
I will be buying more plants but right now I have one pothos in a planter in the bottom of the cage.
The cage is located in my living room on the floor far away from any air vents, there is a lot of traffic I'm a family of five so a lot of people walk by it.
I'm located in Atlanta Georgia US
https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-tropical-uvb-heat-lighting/dp/183201

 

[Jpeff]

What about d3 and vitamins.

 

[Beman]

Start reading every module in this husbandry program. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

Uvb lighting is incorrect for both. You want to pull the water bowl. These should not be used for chams.
You can not visually see all parasites that chams can have. Most have to be viewed under a microscope. Only way to know for sure is getting a fecal tested.
Mealworms should be swapped out for a better feeder.
Calcium without D3 should be used at every feeding except 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th when you use a multivitamin with D3 and vitamin A. Something like reptivite with D3 or Repashy calcium plus LoD version.

Please post pics of both enclosures.

See gutload and feeder image.

 

[Macy&Pixie the chameleons]

I have been reading and watching the videos on chameleon academy, my mom for some reason isn't letting me buy another light fixture unless I pay for it myself, I only have enough money to either buy the bigger cage so my little chameleon can stop living in a mouse cage, or I can buy the light and wait to move them both to bigger homes, what do I do?

 

[Macy&Pixie the chameleons]

I have been reading and watching the videos on chameleon academy, my mom for some reason isn't letting me buy another light fixture unless I pay for it myself, I only have enough money to either buy the bigger cage so my little chameleon can stop living in a mouse cage, or I can buy the light and wait to move them both to bigger homes, what do I do?

I'm sorry I know almost nothing I guess I just read from the wrong websites

 

[Macy&Pixie the chameleons]

Start reading every module in this husbandry program. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

Uvb lighting is incorrect for both. You want to pull the water bowl. These should not be used for chams.
You can not visually see all parasites that chams can have. Most have to be viewed under a microscope. Only way to know for sure is getting a fecal tested.
Mealworms should be swapped out for a better feeder.
Calcium without D3 should be used at every feeding except 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th when you use a multivitamin with D3 and vitamin A. Something like reptivite with D3 or Repashy calcium plus LoD version.

Please post pics of both enclosures.

See gutload and feeder image.

 

[Macy&Pixie the chameleons]

So the little cage is just temporary, Macy used to have the bigger cage but since I got pixie really quickly and I didn't prepare Macy is having to live in the little cage until I get a bigger cage for pixie

 

[Jpeff]

They just going to stay stressed and keep declining until there enclosure requirements are met.

 

[Jpeff]

But keeping them this way is inhumane. Your parents shouldn't of let you get if weren't going to care for them. If can I'd try to take back where u got them or rehome. They both need uvb lights and 24x24x48 cages.

 

[Macy&Pixie the chameleons]

This is from chameleon academy which is a very trusted website, the guy that owns it has been working with chameleons for 40 years.
Macy will stay baby size forever so there's no need for a bigger cage, I'm NOT going to be keeping Macy in the cage that's in the picture the new cage for pixie will be coming soon and when it does I will move Macy into the enclosure you see pixie in and pixie will be moved to a 2x2x4

 

[Beman]

This is from chameleon academy which is a very trusted website, the guy that owns it has been working with chameleons for 40 years.
Macy will stay baby size forever so there's no need for a bigger cage, I'm NOT going to be keeping Macy in the cage that's in the picture the new cage for pixie will be coming soon and when it does I will move Macy into the enclosure you see pixie in and pixie will be moved to a 2x2x4

I am going to be gentle... The cages are not going to work and the lighting will not either. For the one you have had the last year that did not grow. Husbandry did play a part in that. She can go in the 16x16x30 enclosure because she is so tiny.

But your new one can not. It is already too large for this cage. Where did you get it from? Can you return it to the store? Because you can not keep Pixie in the container it is in. And you can not keep them both without the correct UVB lighting or enclosure set ups. 2 chams means double of everything which gets expensive. I think you would be better off with one and getting husbandry perfectly for it and then later on get a second.

I know this is not what you want to hear. But you need to do what is best for both of these animals. If you or your mom can not provide all the right equipment and set ups for both then one needs to be returned to the store or given to a reptile rescue.